Imagination and Dreams: “Make It So”

It’s another new year.

Rather than reflect on resolutions, plans, and goal-setting, I’m taking a different tack. This is only one of many (MANY) new years I’ve welcomed in with well-considered, constructive resolutions. Truth be told, that’s worked out well for me over the years.

Writing has always figured prominently among those plans. With resolutions to guide me, I’ve managed to write more, write in wider genres, learn more about writing, develop professional associations, find writing partners, and share my writing with wider audiences, including social media.

No regrets there. All of the above, and more, have led me to where I stand today, anticipating the release of Odin’s Promise in just a few months.

But…

What if I had been bolder, more imaginative, and even a tad foolish in the scope of my earlier intents?

Click here to read about her bold and imaginative daughter Emma, and to view a news video of the real thing- Emma, Judy, and their backyard Viking ship!

This book is a treasure on many levels: compelling characters, vibrant and richly detailed illustrations that extend the text, delightful language, and the most improbably true story you’ll ever read.

YO, VIKINGS! nudges me outside the comfort zone of my previous resolutions. Meeting Emma in the pages of this book inspires me to imagine beyond the “reasonable” or even “possible” and set my sights on the vast unknown. Emma didn’t hobble her dreams to methodical steps, nor wait for Star Trek Captain Jean Luc to “make it so”. She spoke her dreams publicly, she recognized the hand of fate when it showed itself, and she took its hand eagerly. The results were beyond even her wildest dreams.

The fact that Emma’s imagination happened to land in the realm of Vikings is my signal that fate is offering me opportunities and adventures this year that could lead beyond my annual steady pace. Rather than approaching 2014 with plans and persistence, I intend to follow Emma’s lead. I’ll keep Judy’s book propped on my desk as a reminder to sail into this year with true Viking bravado!